Earl Ray Tomblin on Drugs

If you get high, you won't get hired--Drugs aren't working

For over 40 years this country has wrestled with drug abuse. This is more than a social problem, it's an economic problem. Too many people who can't pass a drug test go somewhere else--somewhere where they don't test--somewhere where it doesn't matter.

Source: 2013 State of the State Address to W.V. Legislature
, Feb 13, 2013

Substance abuse re-offenders cause prison overcrowding

It's no secret that West Virginia's correctional system is overextended. Statistics now show the number of people in our prisons is increasing at three times the national average. Last year, I brought together State and local leaders and research
professionals as part of an effort to find a solution to our outdated and overcrowded prison system.

The Council of State Governments has succeeded in increasing public safety and reducing recidivism in states like Texas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
I asked them to help me construct a plan--keeping public safety as our number one priority. What we learned was simple: substance abuse is a huge part of prison overcrowding, and the high re-offending rate intensifies the problem.

We must act now
to address these challenges. We must work to increase public safety and reduce habitual offenders. Their recommendations are projected to save the State of West Virginia over $116 million over the next six years while making West Virginia a safer place.

Not just criminal penalties: use technology for enforcement

Illegal drug use and the abuse of prescription drugs affect all of us. It is an equal opportunity destroyer of dreams and lives. It affects the poor, the affluent, the educated, and everyone in between. That is why this past year I formed the Governor's
Substance Abuse Advisory Council and six Regional Task Forces. They have been collecting the facts, working with prevention, detection, and treatment experts in order to increase the access and effectiveness of our substance abuse programs.

Solving our drug problems is not just about increasing criminal penalties. I have learned that we must use technology to fight our drug problems and enhance enforcement. We must use our prescription monitoring program so that when an abuser tries to
doctor or pharmacy shop, we stop it.

I will require that individuals pass a drug screening prior to enrolling in our state's taxpayer funded workforce training programs. Now is the time to get serious about ending drug abuse and addiction.

Support substance abuse care

Substance abuse is an issue that affects us all. It's a personal issue that hurts our families, it's a civic issue that hurts our communities and it threatens our reputation as hard working West Virginians.

Focusing on this issue from a local level
gives any West Virginian who wants to help address this problem an opportunity to do so. We will improve the statewide continuum of care for substance abuse, and coordinate efforts to increase both public & private support of substance abuse initiatives.